The Stretch; Lessons.

In hindsight, I see that I had become the biggest chick in the nest! I was not willing to get out of the nest because it was safe there, and I knew I was God’s own so, why won't He want me safe, you know? Well, when God was ready for me ehn, He literally pushed me out of the nest. I had thought I would die from the fall. All I knew to do was sit and possibly move around a little bit in the nest, but none of that was working as I was plunging down with great speed!

Truths and reality I never saw coming hit me so hard they almost knocked me flat out. Panic stricken and trying to find a way to break the free-fall, I knew that I had to try something else – something I had seen but never done or even thought of trying to do. I began to stretch out wings I didn't realise had grown such beautiful feathers. Obviously, the presence of feathers doesn’t guarantee proper coordinated flight for a fledgling but at least it would break the fall.

Stretching out” is pretty much the same as getting out of your comfort zone, getting out of the familiar and trusting God for direction. Sometimes, we stretch out willingly, a lot of times we don’t. In my case, I know that God had caused me to stretch out because He knew I was capable of so much more than just sitting pretty in the hypothetical nest. If we have the right perspective in the midst of challenges, we’ll see that it is not like our Graciously Merciful God of the mighty angelic armies (I meant that dramatically) has forsaken us. It is usually a challenge to take a step of faith and trust Him some more. Getting out of one’s comfort zone to trust God is no walk in the park. It would take practice and death to flesh to make it happen.

I found peace in God and it took the intervention of the Holy Spirit for me to truly believe that He was right there in the midst of the chaos and that I was safe. I had asked, pleaded and cried for direction and I finally got it! Not the way I had expected, but clarity came and the pieces started to come together.

If you’ve had reason at all to trust God for something, you’d know sometimes the events leading to it don’t happen as you planned or “expected”. A lot of times, when we go to God for counsel, we go with our minds made up and hearts set – the “Lord, this is it…do it for me!!!” mind-set – and so, when things aren’t working out the way we planned, we think God isn’t listening and then, the idea to shout (at or to) Him or take the lead seems promising! The walk through the valley of frustration is inevitable this way. 

Just imagine you need help with an assignment in a certain course (especially one you’re clueless about) – you would find you don’t interject the person who is helping out (especially if it is one whose intellectual capacity you trust) and you’d naturally watch closely for clues to pick up on and be more concerned about achieving the result.

If you have the courage to ask God for direction, you should be willing let go of the logical and open up. (See Isaiah55:9). God will not compete with the noise in your life. You have to quiet down and pay attention. Stop with the complaining, take a rain check on the pity party and just listen for guidance.

The reason for the uneasiness I felt had become crystal clear. I had prayed for increase and I hadn’t prepared to accommodate it. Breakthrough season had come and I didn't even recognise it, so I was struggling with the ‘more’ I had asked for. I was struggling to keep the eagle in the nest it had outgrown.

“I hadn’t prepared to accommodate”…a very common mistake! Well, I find we pray for things we want and situations to turn around and we have faith as well that things will turn around but do little to prepare for its ‘coming’. Sometimes the answers to our prayers show up and becomes a thorn in the flesh because we try too late to get things in order. In the period of waiting, get busy and build capacity to handle what you are praying for. (Luke 5:36-38).

I learned that if Breakthrough season was going to ever be meaningful, Total Surrender was necessary! So, I learned to just hide myself in God and in the truth of His word. There I found strength, peace, forgiveness, courage, life, and all things good! I grew to accept the fact that I am His regardless and that he knows me through and through and still loves me extravagantly (Jeremiah 31:3; 1John3:1a). 

Total Surrender is necessary for victories that will be meaningful. I remember the point I decided to let go of a particular situation I was struggling to control. I didn’t let go because I wanted to, I let go because I was flat out of ideas and strength to go on (like completely knackered and battered). A song I’d been listening to casually over the years came to mind. I hadn’t heard it in a while but I could hear it clearly playing in my head. I remember grabbing my phone (as I unleashed the waterworks 😂😂) to search for Britt Nicole's Have Your way.

Letting go of the position of the ‘over efficient’ Personal Assistant to God on Similoluwa’s affairs was no joke! I had to consciously stand back and let God be God. I remember having to constantly tell myself, “God does not need your help to be God! Babe, chill!” It works! The Let go and Let God concept really does work. It would be better though to let God step in before you get to the point where you’re completely helpless and just save yourself the time and battering. 

This is the only time it is absolutely fine not to know what exactly is going on, or where it is you are headed (not physically please) because you have let The One who knows it all and holds it all lead. We know He works all things for our good (Jeremiah 29:11) so it is safe to chill.

I'm most grateful for God's outstretched arm that always reaches out when we cry out. 😊

There were challenges and mistakes, breakthroughs and victories, but I’m truly thankful that with God in and with us, we get to learn, grow and be transformed (James 1:2-4). In the midst of a challenge, it’s almost impossible to see the good. If you can get hold of yourself and focus on the good, the little things actually going right, things will start to change from that point. There will be renewed strength and determination to press on to victory! Also, get good stuff on the inside. By good stuff, I mean truth: God’s word. Listen to things that speak life to you. Speak life to yourself (yes, I think it is perfectly fine to talk to yourself! 😏), and to the circumstances and believe it! Talk to good people too; ask the Holyspirit to help you discern who you can share your challenges with.

Difficult situations sometimes get us scarred; but on the other hand, they can fast-track others’ breakthrough when they learn from our experiences. I believe that helping others, (sometimes while still in the works) builds strength on the inside and helps the healing process. If you find the opportunity to, please do. God will definitely fix whatever it is that got damaged, in His will and you can be sure the restoration will be impeccable.